If asked at what point in life a believer is saved, the overwhelming answer would be when he/she receives Jesus as his/her Savior, which means the point in time when one completes the ritual prescribed by the religious group one is joining. The vast majority of professing Christian would agree with that explanation. THEY WOULD BE WRONG. In the series in which I specifically address the salvation/born again issue I prove Scripturally that one is saved and born again upon the arrival of Jesus Christ at the time of the first resurrection–the resurrection of God’s “Firstfruits.” These are those few believers who, having received justification (forgiveness of all past sins) and having been truly converted (total reversal of life’s “walk”), then obeyed God’s Law until death or Christ’s return, whichever came first. In his letter to the church at Philippi the Apostle Paul makes clear this Biblical Truth clear as he states that he knew that he was not saved and would not be saved until the return of His LORD–Jesus Christ. Of all people, Paul, who met and talked with Jesus and received the Truth directly from Him, (Gal. 1:12) knew that salvation an rebirth did not take place in this life.

In Philippians 3:8-21 we find him confirming that Truth. In verse eight he points out that Jesus was his LORD whom he would obey so that “I MAY win Christ.” In the Greek language the word “win” is kerdaino, meaning “to gain” something not yet possessed. Notice also that Jesus was at that time his LORD, not his Savior. Paul makes it clear that unless Jesus is one’s LORD in this life HE WILL NEVER BE ONE’S SAVIOR. A lord must be obeyed, otherwise he is not one’s lord (master). In verse 11 Paul adds that he was doing all he knew to do so that, “if by any means I MIGHT take part in the resurrection of the dead” (Firstfruit resurrection). He points out that he had NOT YET APPREHENDED (GAINED) CHRIST, but that he was pressing forward in order to attain the PRIZE (salvation) which would be his for having reached the MARK, which was the standard of God’s calling that was manifested in the person of Jesus Christ. The MARK God requires of us is to “walk as Jesus walked” (1 Jn. 2:6) and to overcome (sin) as He overcame sin (Rev. 3:21). Only those who reach the MARK will receive the PRIZE. As Paul points out in First Corinthians 9:24-26, all believers run the “race” in order to win eternal life, but only the one who runs according to the rules wins the prize. Read Born Again, Hope and Salvation and The Christian’s “Proof” of Salvation.” Key words–Born, Hope and Proof respectively.

In verse 15 Paul speaks of being PERFECT. The Greek word is teleios, meaning “mature.”
The perfect believer is mature and working toward Christ-level perfection (vs 12). He will continue working until he “comes to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Paul tells the people to develop that mindset by striving for the “high calling of God as seen in (manifested by) Christ” (vs 14). This is possible only by following the same rules Christ followed and by thinking about the things He thought about (vs 16). In 4:8 Paul tells the people that whatsoever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of a good report–to “think on these things.” We have only a short time in which to qualify to live for eternity in the presence of the Lord. Is anything more important than that? What else is worth spending our time doing or pursuing? God tells us to REDEEM THE TIME (Eph. 5:16/ Col. 4:5)–to make good use of the time He has allotted us by studying His Word, learning it and obeying it.

In verses 17-19 Paul warns the people to beware of those in the church who do not follow the example set by the apostles. He warns that MANY in the church do not walk in holiness and are therefore the “enemies of God.” MANY IN THE CHURCH THEN DID NOT THEN AND DO NOT NOW OBEY GOD’S TEN COMMANDMENT LAW. GOD CALLS THESE PEOPLE HIS “ENEMIES WHOSE END WILL BE DESTRUCTION.” These are they whose minds are on earthly things like entertainment, possessions, social status, family acceptance, etc. If “many” in the church are of this sort, that means only a “few” are God’s true saints, which is what Jesus warned would be the case in Matthew 7:13,14; 22:14.

In verse 20 Paul notes that our spiritual walk must be in heaven where Jesus now resides and from whence He will return to earth as our Savior–IF HE IS NOW OUR LORD WHOM WE OBEY UNTIL OUR DEATH OR HIS RETURN. To be His slaves whom He “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20) we must study the Bibhle in order to learn His will, “FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO ACCORDING TO HIS GOOD PLEASURE.” His pleasure/will is for us to “shine as lights in the world by holding forth (exhibiting) His Word of life.” Knowing His will, we must submit our will to His will as did Jesus in Matthew 26:39,42. In this way we “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” by knowing and doing His will (Phil. 2:12-16). Better stated: WE ALLOW HIM TO DO HIS WILL THROUGH US. THIS IS POSSIBLE ONLY BY KNOWING HIS WILL AND BEING LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN FULFILLING IT. IN THIS WAY IT IS GOD HIMSELF WHO IS DOING HIS WILL THROUGH US BY THE POWER OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN US. THIS REQUIRES USE TO DIE TO SELF AND ALLOW HIM TO LIVE THROUGH US, JESUS OF NAZARETH BEING THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE. Read Jesus of Nazareth: God, Man or God-man. Key word==Godman. L.J.

The Second Epistle of Peter/ God’s Warning Voices: Where Are They?/ Death: The Purpose of Life/ God’s Message to the Hebrews/ Exactness: The Key to Scriptural Success/ Falling From Grace/ The Acts of God’s Apostles/ Natural Disasters, God and the Holy Bible/ The Saint’s Reason for Living/ The Signs of the end of the Age/ The Church, the Bible and the Despised Gods/ Wanted: Spiritual Truth in Advertising/ Exactness Pt. 2/ God’s Word Versus Church Doctrine/ Who and Where is Israel Today?/ Religious Assumption-Christian Reality/ Faith Interrupted: The Galilee Syndrome/ “This is God Speaking: Stay Tuned for a message.”